How did the first rich people get rich?
In: 0
Wealth first became possible with the development of farming. This allowed the production of surplus resources and freed up time to do things other than just hunt and gather.
The richest people at that time would be the ones who first started organizing military power. If you command the loyalty of a bunch of guys with weapons, you can offer to protect the farmers and townsfolk from outside threats. In exchange you were paid some of their surplus production. If you get lucky, there aren’t that many outside threats to deal with, and you accumulate resources for basically nothing. If you’re unscrupulous, you can start to use your military power on the people you purportedly protect, extracting even more resources out of them.
Alternative routes to riches at this time would be commerce or religion. Merchants and traders could accumulate significant wealth by getting goods to people who couldn’t otherwise access them, then making advantageous trades. Religious authorities often commanded a lot of reverence from the general public and could direct donations and “sacrifices” towards their own personal wealth.
Latest Answers